


Free Will and Muse

by MissjuliaMiriam



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Bruce doesn't approve, Developing Relationship, Familial Conflict, Intellectual discussion gets them hot, Lazarus Pit, M/M, Porn, Tim does what he wants
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-15
Updated: 2012-08-15
Packaged: 2017-11-12 04:49:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/486892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissjuliaMiriam/pseuds/MissjuliaMiriam
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ra's wants Tim, is inspired by him, and Tim doesn't really have a problem with that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Free Will and Muse

**Author's Note:**

> I don't even know what this is? Oh god it was supposed to be PWP but then it grew a plot and I might even write more in this verse? I don't know we'll see. Enjoy.
> 
> p.s. This is mostly unedited so.....

Tim knew that Ra's had some sort of fixation on him. That he kept track of Tim's movements, and occasionally sent messages or left gifts for Tim to find. Mostly, Tim didn't care, because like this, Ra's seemed less interested in hurting Tim or any of his friends or family. It was a little like having a demon on a leash, and as of yet there had been no backlash. So Tim was okay with it.

Tim also knew that Ra's' body was starting to age, starting to fail, and that soon he would be immersing himself in his private Lazarus Pit, bringing himself back to youth and perfect health, with only the slightest of scars to mark his previous life's darkest moments.

Tim knew both of those things. He didn't expect them to ever have anything to do with one another, and certainly not like this. But the truth was, Ra's was there, standing on Tim's doorstep, still recognizable despite the fact the he looked to be 25 at the very oldest. And also, he had just finished asking Tim to dinner.

“Um,” said Tim. “If I say no, will you hurt me?”

“No,” said Ra's, “but I will be very disappointed. Do me the honour of dinner at the very least?”

Tim sighed. “Yeah, alright. Let me make myself presentable, I'm wearing sweatpants and a ratty t-shirt.”

“I had noticed.” Ra's chuckled, then followed Tim into his apartment, letting the door click closed behind him. “No need to dress up, but wear something nice.”

“Sure,” said Tim, taking a quick glance at Ra's' outfit to take queues from. He was wearing a loose red silk shirt with billowing sleeves and a pair of fitted black slacks, and Tim couldn't help but appreciate the way the outfit accented the older man's long legs and broad, muscled shoulders. “Whoa,” he muttered to himself as he retreated back towards his room. “Easy, tiger.”

He dressed quickly, slipping into tan slacks and a navy button up that fitted close to his body, then bolted across the hall to his bathroom where he brushed his teeth and hair. Then he just stared at himself for a long minute, wondering why exactly he was agreeing to this. Of course, it was Ra's al Ghul. He couldn't exactly say no. Tim sighed, then stepped out, beading back into the main room of his apartment. Ra's was looking at some of the photos propped up on his bookshelf, pictures of the Bat Clan, in costume and out, pictures of Tim with his friends, and some of his favourite shots from when he was a child, quietly studying Batman and Robin.

“These are quite good,” Ra's said, gesturing at a few shots of Robin silhouetted against the night sky.

“Thank you. I took them a long time ago, when I had more time for photography than I do now.”

“Back when you were still stalking the Bat and his protegee.”

Tim blushed. “I wouldn't call it that, but yes. Now, shall we go?”

Ra's finally turned around, his gaze sweeping Tim's body. A shudder ran down Tim's spine as he took note of the way Ra's eyes lingered at the curve of Tim's waist and the length of his thigh.

“Yes,” said Ra's, his voice low and quiet. “We shall. Come.” And with that he turned and left Tim's apartment, leaving Tim to trail after him with a quirk in his lips and a raised eyebrow.

 

The dinner did, in fact, go well. Tim was a little surprised, but Ra's has had good taste in restaurants, and had been perfectly willing to make noncommittal small talk throughout the meal. In fact, it wasn't until dessert had been served that anything that even began to relate to their other lives came up.

“So,” Ra's said, “will you be offended if I ask after the health of your family?”

Tim smiled wryly. “No, I suppose not. You haven't tried to kill any of us lately, after all.”

“Yes, well, killing the family of your interest is not, in fact ,a good courting strategy.”

Tim laughed ,a bit uncomfortable, and then said, “They're well, as far as I know. I mean, Damian doesn't talk about himself, and Cass doesn't  _talk_ , and Dick bullshits rather a lot, but you know. Life goes on.”

“I notice that you didn't mention Bruce,” Ra's said, tilting his head a bit.

“It wasn't intentional. The truth is,” Tim sighed, “I never really know what's going on with him. He doesn't let anything show, and it can be really frustrated. I've seen him put down Scarecrow with broken ribs, for god's sake, and it makes me worry a bit.”

“He can take care of himself.”

“Don't you know it.”

Ra's laughed. “This is why I like you, Timothy. You're not intimidated by me.”

Tim shrugged. “Yeah, well, object of your fascination and all. I don't think you'd hurt me, unless I asked. And call me Tim, please.”

Something in Ra's' eyes flashed. “And would you ask,  _Timothy_ ?”

Tim shuddered, feeling for the second time that night that Ra's was looking right into him. “Maybe, if I knew I could trust you,” he admitted. “It's not really... It's not something I've ever really tried, but the idea is... interesting.”

“You feel you cannot trust me?” Ra's looked almost hurt, and Tim blinked.

“Ra's, you tried to kill me and everyone I love, and you didn't even have the respect to do it yourself.”

He sighed. “I never said that I was any sort of good man, Timothy. Only that you fascinate me, and that I will not hurt you. Not unless you ask.”

“And I appreciate that, Ra's. I still don't think I can trust you. Not with that. Honestly, that I came out with you at all should be taken as a gesture of trust. Though, Oracle is probably keeping tabs, just in case you decide you don't like me and slip a knife between my ribs at the end of the night.” Tim wiped a hand over his face. He wasn't particularly worried that Ra's was going to kill him, not tonight at least, but he needed the man to know that Tim didn't entirely trust him, for all that he wasn't bad company.

“I apologize for making you think that I would do something like that, Timothy.” Ra's did actually look quite sorry, and Tim sighed. He didn't want to make the guy feel bad about himself, really, or destroy any hope he had for winning Tim's affection. That could be dangerous, and also it would make Tim feel bad, because there was in fact a chance that he could grow to like Ra's.

It helped that in his younger body, Ra's was undeniably handsome.

“It's okay, Ra's. I don't really think that you would, but my entire family is full of paranoid bastards, myself included. You know that, too.”

He nodded. “It is one of the things I like about you. You miss nothing. If I did not know otherwise, I would guess that you had been trained by my own League of Shadows. You have comparitive strength and intellectual ability, certainly, and you are somewhat different from the rest of the Bats in your methods and morals.”

“Yes,” said Tim. “I know. I think that that sometimes makes it hard for the rest to deal with me. They love me, I know, and I love them. But I'm different.”

“I value that, even if they don't,” Ra's said, leaning across the table. “Are you ready to return home?”

Tim glanced down at his half finished dessert, thought about it, then said, “Yeah, I'm done here.” He flagged down a waiter and politely asked for the bill.

When it came, Ra's pulled out several bills from his wallet, then rose. “Shall we?”

“Not going to wait for change?”

“Timothy,” said Ra's, his tone amused. “I have lived for thousands of years, and I own a small empire.”

“I know,” said Tim. “But you never know.”

“I'm not stingy,” Ra's replied, leading Tim out of the restaurant. “Not with my money, nor with my gifts.”

“I know that too,” Tim said. There were several rather ancient volumes and practical tools and trinkets sitting in his apartment that told a tale of Ra's' generosity. “You know how to choose gifts.”

“I'm glad you liked them.”

“I would have sent a thank you note,” Tim said, “but I don't have your mailing address. Or any way to contact you, actually.”

“A note isn't what I want,” Ra's said, taking the keys of his cars from the valet and getting in, Tim just behind him. As he started the drive back to Tim's house, he continued, “What I want is something more... physical.”

Tim blushed. This wasn't the first time he had been fiarly blatantly propositioned, but it was the first time that he was actually considering it. That was probably in part the fault of the rather nice bottle of wine he and Ra's had been sharing over dinner, but it was also a viable option. Ra's was attractive, and surprisingly likeable, and not currently homocidal. He also seemed interested in Tim for reasons beyond his body, which was something that Tim hadn't often found with his few other partners.

“Yes,” said Tim. “Well. That's.”

“You can say no,” Ra's said, glancing at Tim briefly before returning his attention to the road. “That will not disappoint me, I have no expectation.”

“But it's what you want.”

“I do want it, yes. But for all that I am a criminal, and have done many awful things in my life, I have never been and will never  _be_ a rapist. I want your consent first and foremost, Timothy.”

Tim looked down. Ra's sounded almost offended, and it was no wonder. He had just implied that Ra's might take without Tim's full consent. Tim folded his hands in his lap.

“I'm sorry,” he said. “I didn't mean to imply.”

“I am aware,” said Ra's. “You need not decide now, you may wait.”

“No, I know what I'm going to say,” Tim said, looking up at Ra's. They were just pulling up to Tim's apartment, Ra's parked quickly, then escorted Tim up to the door of his home. There, Ra's paused, and caught Tim's arm, then tugged him close. They stood facing each other for a moment, then Ra's leaned down and said, “So, what will you say?”

Tim smiled. “I'll say 'not yet'. I can't deny that I'm interested, but I'm going to get enough of a lecture already, and I'd rather not add to it. So,” he said, pulling away, “not yet. But it's not a no, okay?”

Ra's smiled, but said nothing. Instead, he leaned down and took Tim's lips in a possessive kiss, chaste, but still searing in intensity. When he pulled away, Tim was still reeling, his breath short.

“I shall return at a later time, Timothy,” Ra's said, and then swept off down the hall, never looking back. Tim watched him go, then let himself into his apartment with a somewhat dazed smile on his face.

 

As he had expected, when he arrived at the Cave the next night to pick up his armour before patrol, Bruce was waiting for him, half way dressed in the Batman outfit and glaring like it.

“Hi,” said Tim, putting down his bag and meeting Bruce's eyes squarely.

“Tim,” said Dick, stepping out from behind Bruce's shoulder. So that was how they were going to play it, with Dick playing Good Cop, cajoling, while Bruce backed him up with a threatening glare. “Do you even know how much danger that could have put you in?”

“Yes,” said Tim, “I do. And I did it anyways. There's nothing you can do to change that, so you're just going to have to accept it.”

Dick stepped forward and put his hands on Tim's shoulders, looking down at him worriedly. “Tim, you have to promise that you'll never do that again.”

He shook his head. “No. Dick, nothing happened to me, and nothing will happen to me. If you were actually paying attention you would know that. I'll be fine. You and Bruce will just have to deal with it, or, alternatively, stop spying on my private life. I don't appreciate it all that much.”

“Tim, that's  _Ra's al Ghul_ .”

“Yeah, I know. And I don't really care who he is, he's attractive, and he's intelligent, and he's good company. And he's interested in me, so that seems all good to me. He treated me well, Dick. Stop trying to convince me otherwise.”

Dick sighed and pulled away, casting a look over his shoulder at Bruce.

“Timothy,” Bruce growled, his Batman voice in full effect. “If you choose to pursue this relationship, I'll be forced to bench you indefinitely.”

Tim looked down for a moment. He loved being Red Robin, protecting the city, brining justice. But he refused to sacrifice his personal life for the mission, and Bruce had no right to dictate to him who he could and couldn't date. Bruce wasn't his father, and Tim could make his own choices, could take care of himself. He wasn't a kid anymore.

He turned around and picked up his bag again, then slung it over his shoulder. “Fine,” he said. “You have my number, just call when you want me back.”

And then he walked out of the cave, wondering whether Bruce would ever call, and if this was really the right choice.

 

Ra's came again three days later. Tim had mostly been lounging around his apartment in comfortable clothes, sometimes attending a meeting for Wayne Enterprises, or going out with friends, but mostly he had stayed home, worked, and hoped that he would be able to get back to his other life soon.

“I heard what happened,” Ra's said as soon as Tim opened the door. “And for that, I am sorry. I did not mean to cost you the job you so clearly love. It would not have hurt me if you had made the other choice, I would have understood.”

“I know,” said Tim. “But it wasn't about you. It was about making Bruce understand that this is my life, and he can't run it for me. I can take care of myself just as much as he can, and I wasn't going to let him bend my will because he thought I was making the wrong choice. That's not the way I want to live.” He opened the door further and let Ra's inside, closing it behind him and then heading into the living room.

“How have you been?” Ra's asked, following Tim. “I am sure that this cannot be easy for you.”

“It's been fine. I've managed to keep myself busy so far.”

Ra's caught Tim's wrist as they entered the living room. “And what will you do now?” he asked, sitting on the couch and tugging Tim down to straddle his lap.

Tim shrugged and buried his face in Ra's shoulder, sighing when one of the older man's hands came up, his long, strong fingers rubbing at the tense muscle at the back of his neck. “I don't know,” he mumbled. “Red Robin was my life. And now all I have is being heir to stupid Wayne Enterprises, and you.”

“That is not nothing, Detective,” Ra's said, his fingers digging into a particularly knotted spot. “As you said, you have me.”

“Yeah, sure, I have you for now,” said Tim. “But the truth is, you're a villain, Ra's. You might get bored, or ask something of me that I can't give, and what then? You're a bad man, and you'll probably drop me or even kill me the second I become troublesome or uninteresting.” _Which will probably be soon_ , Tim thought. _Pattern shows that people don't stay once I let them fuck me._

“I would not do that,” Ra's said, his fingers slowing, then sliding down Tim's spine to rest in the curve of his lower back. His other hand rested on Tim's thigh.

“Sure,” said Tim. “Right.”

“It's true. In all honesty, you have been far more than troublesome to me in that past. But you have never been uninteresting, and I enjoy some fight in my lovers. I would not accept it if you became a doll because you thought that that was what I would enjoy.”

“You know,” Tim said. “Last time anyone checked, you were a crazy fuck who hated me and wanted me dead for foiling your plans. And you didn't give a single crap about lovers, forget ones with some fight.”

“The Pit does more than take away physical ailments, Timothy. It takes away mental weaknesses as well. And the magic of the Pit saw my anger, my _madness_ as a weakness.” Ra's sighed and pressed a kiss to Tim's neck. Tim tilted his head, allowing him more access. “What the Pit did to Jason Todd surprised me,” Ra's continued. “But he is stronger now than he was before. He is more alive now than he ever was.”

“He's half way to mad.”

“No, he is angry. He is bitter and hurt. But he is not insane. You should have seen that,” Ra's scolded, then bit at Tim's neck in punishment.

“I think I did know,” Tim said. “But Bruce has always refused to accept that Jason maybe just doesn't want his help, and instead calls him insane. I'm used to going along with it.”

“Indeed,” said Ra's biting at Tim's neck again, then sucking on the spot until it was sure to bruise. Tim gasped, hands coming up to clutch at Ra's' shoulders and tilting his head back.

“Is this what you want?” Ra's said, looking up to meet Tim's eyes. “Are you ready?

Tim nodded. “No one to give me shit now. I- I _want_ , Ra's, it's been so long.”

“Then I shall not make you wait any longer.” Ra's' voice had dropped low, dropped to nearly a purr, lust evident in his tone.

Ra's' hand, still resting near the base of Tim's spine, slipped down further, dipping into Tim's sweat pants to cup his ass. “No underwear?” he murmured, amused.

Tim shook his head, his cheeks stained pink. “I didn't expect company.”

“Of course not,” Ra's said, long fingers rubbing teasingly.

Tim shuddered and leaned back a bit, whipping his t-shirt over his head and tossing it away, then falling back against Ra's' chest. He arched up, pressing their lips together. Ra's quickly dominated the kiss, his tongue nudging into Tim's mouth, sliding along Tim's teeth. Tim moaned into the kiss, letting Ra's fuck his mouth with his tongue while their hips ground together.

“Oh, god,” Tim gasped when Ra's pulled away. “Let me get your shirt off. Or. Do you want to do this here?”

Ra's narrowed his eyes, then cast a quick glance around the room. “Here is fine. Find lubricant, Timothy, and then return. Naked, please.”

Tim groaned and scrambled off of Ra's' lap, vanishing into the back part of the apartment. Ra's stood from the couch and stripped swiftly, then settled back into his place just as Tim returned, a bottle of clear liquid in one hand, and no clothes on his body.

Ra's didn't even bother to hide the his appraisal of Tim's body, the way his eyes skimmed over pale, scarred skin, traced the lines of his shoulder and waist and thigh, and lingered on the jut of Tim's erection. Tim's lips parted at the obvious staring, and made his way across the room, doing his best to restrain from covering himself. He knew that he didn't have a perfect body, that he was too small, too pale to be handsome. But Ra's saw something in him, and that was enough.

“Come perch on my knee, Nightingale,” Ra's said, one hand reaching out for Tim. “And sing for me.”

“Ra's,” Tim said, and went. He straddled Ra's' lap again, their cocks sliding together, slick with pre-come. The feeling was heady, and Tim moaned high in his throat, Ra's' answering groan a low rumble.

“You are stunning like this,” Ra's said, sliding his hands down Tim's body, then taking the lube from his and drizzling it across three fingers.

Tim shook his head but said nothing, instead pressing against Ra's again, digging his fingers into broad, tanned shoulders, licking at the taught skin of Ra's' neck. He made a a quiet noise as one of Ra's' fingers teased across his opening, then slid in to the knuckle without warning. Tim shuddered, pressing back into the finger, relishing the feeling of the stretch, and the slide of the long, slim digit inside him. It was quickly joined by a second, Ra's fucking Tim with swift, shallow strokes, opening him up efficiently.

“I would take hours with this,” Ra's said, leaning down to bite at Tim's neck again, darkening the mark he had placed earlier. “I would take the time to show you ever secret of the erotic arts that I have learned in my long life. But for now I want you too much to wait.”

“That's- oh, that's fine with me, Ra's.” Tim nearly moaned Ra's' name, pressing down on what was now three fingers inside him, stretching him out, readying him for the thick cock pressed against his own. Ra's crooked his fingers, pressing them into Tim's prostate with absolute precision. Tim moaned loudly, the sound catching in his throat, nearly turning into a scream, but he held it back.

“No, no,” Ra's said. “Sing, Nightingale. Don't hold back, I want to hear you.”

Tim nearly sobbed as Ra's rubbed his fingers against his prostate again, writing against the strong, muscled chest, grinding as hard as he could. The hand that Ra's wasn't currently using to drive Tim crazy was wrapped around his hip, holding him back from bringing himself to orgasm against Ra's' body, and Ra's leaned down to steal another kiss, robbing the sound from Tim's lips and taking the breath from his lungs.

When Ra's finally deemed Tim properly prepared and pulled his finger's from Tim's slick entrance, the slight boy whimpered. “Shh,” soothed Ra's, reaching for lube again and slicking his cock. “Timothy, I assume that you are clean,” he said. It felt a bit like an after thought, but it didn't matter. Tim nodded, rutting against Ra's desperately.

“Good,” Ra's said, then, in one smooth motion, pressed into Tim's body, and then stilled. Tim panted, rolling his hips into Ra's', and Ra's smiled, thrusting up into Tim's body, his hands coming to rest on Tim's hips.

“You are so very tight, my Nightingale, so hot around me. Do you have the strength to ride me?”

Tim answered by lifting himself on shaking thighs, then dropping back down, Ra's' cock slamming deep into him, sliding against his prostate. “Oh, god,” he moaned. “Ra's!”

Ra's smiled, helping Tim by lifting his hips, pressing back into Tim's uneven thrusts, his hands gripping Tim's hips tightly. Above him, Tim threw his head back, a litany of multilingual, slurred swears, moans, and Ra's' name falling from his lips. He rode Ra's with no shame, and Ra's couldn't help but stare, watching this beautiful boy fuck himself on Ra's' cock, even as he drew closer to his own peak.

“How close are you?” Ra's rumbled, his words less crisp than usual.

“Close,” Tim replied, the word nearly indistinguishable from a moan. He let himself fall forward again, bracing his hands on Ra's' shoulders, nails digging into the skin. He rolled his hips, trapping his cock between their stomachs, the sensation sending a flare of pleasure through his body.

Below him, Ra's grunted, trusting up into Tim as best as he could, feeling the wave of orgasm cresting, the feeling like a fire in his blood, burning him in the best possible way. And then Tim was coming, clenching around Ra's, his come wetting their chests. Tim's back arched, and he threw his head back, screaming out his release. The shift in position drove Ra's even deeper, and Ra's groaned, thrust once, and then twice more, and then came, toppling into orgasm, filling Tim's body.

As they came down from their peak, Tim slumped completely against Ra's, his eyes half closed. “Thank you,” he murmured. “Please don't leave.”

“I won't. Not ever,” Ra's said, gathering Tim up in his arms and standing from the couch. As he moved towards the hall to get them both cleaned up and them into bed, he glanced to the side, out the window of the living room. His gaze met the camera placed in the tree there, took note of the small red recording light, still on, and smirked, then pulled Tim closer to his body and moved out of the device's line of sight.

 

In the morning, Tim woke slowly, curling closer to the large, warm body he was tucked up to, half on top of. He stretched, his legs sliding against those of his partner, and then he opened his dark blue eyes to meet Ra's' own deep chocolate brown. “Morning, love,” Ra's said, one hand coming up to card through Tim's hair.

Tim moaned quietly and pressed closer, sighing into Ra's' skin. “Morning, Ra's.”

“How are you?”

“A bit sore,” Tim said, stretching again. “And I have a request.”

“What's that?” Ra's asked, his lips pressing against Tim's hair.

“I get to tell Damian.”


End file.
